Personal Reflection on Topic of Inquiry(posted January 27 -- Peer Response January 29)
Hi. I'm Ellie. I'm a vegetarian. I'm also extremely liberal. My favorite activities include marathon running, cycling class, weight lifting, playing my violin, and reading. I'm looking forward to my marathon training season to begin in April. This will be my second marathon. Also, my favorite class is chemistry. I love science. How are you liking APLang? I know it has been helping me become a better writer! I've learned how to quote, how to write introductory paragraphs, and what a strong thesis sounds like. Before AP language and composition I didn't know that to be words make a weak essay. I still haven't figured out how to fix that completely, but I hope to become more comfortable with it in this semester. My biggest hurdle has been organization. I still need work on it, but it has definitely improved. Rough Draft Definition (posted February 3 -- Peer Response February 5)
During my life, the idea of gender has continued to challenge me. Supposedly we live in a completely equal society were there is no difference between men and women(unless you ask feminists). Most people believe there is virtually no difference between men and women in our society, yet the day we're born we are immediately dressed and surrounded by pink if you're a girl, and blue if you're a boy. I don't understand how people think men and women are equal when we are separated by gender at birth. I don't think our society needs them. It just makes everyone's life worse. Without them men wouldn't be called, "faggots," and women wouldn't be ridiculed for not shaving or not wearing make-up. For a long time I have felt the strain of gender stereotypes. I have never liked to wear dresses. I have never liked to wear make-up. I do not like the color pink. I have no interest in ever dating men, like the stereotypical woman. Yet, I don't like sports. I don't have a desire to be ultra- wealthy. I don't want to lose all care for how I look. And I don't refer to cars as sexy, like the stereotypical man. I live my life in a middle ground that is still unaccepted by society. People have the need to call me butch, or a dyke, or a manly lesbian. Why can't I just be myself? Why does society make life so difficult for people? Why do men and women need to be seen differently?
I think you have a strong point. The topic you choose is very strong and you are very enthusiastic about it. I think it would be stronger if you could make people try and see it more from your eyes opposed to you saying what you see and how you feel. All in all though I think you have a strong topic to work with. Good job. -Grant
Revision Definition (posted February 10 -- Peer Response February 12 )
Gender is a term that is commonly misunderstood. It is often mistaken for sex. Sex is determined by your sexual organs, while gender is in your mind and society.
When considering gender, social stereotypes play a huge role. People generally choose gender based on social stereotypes. For example, girls wear pink and play with dolls. Boys wear blue and play with racecars. There is nothing biological that says boys and blue correlate, yet it still is very essential to one's identity. That is where gender comes in.
Gender, while not scientifically defined, defines a person. It is how the sex is viewed in society. It is the common way media displays sex.
Since not everyone exists exactly how media and stereotypes depict, gender can be varied. This is why transgendered people exist. Transgendered is also very commonly misunderstood. The majority believe transgendered means one wants to have sex reassignment surgery, but this is not the case. The prefix "trans" means across, so the person simply does not have a gender that is exactly equivalent to their sex. Transgendered is an umbrella term, not an exact circumstance. Under this "umbrella" one can find variation that ranges from a cross dresser to someone who has had a sex reassignment surgery.
Also, not everyone who does not fit exactly into a gender category would be considered transgendered. For example, not every girl likes pink, and not every boy likes cars. This would be considered a difference of preference rather than a difference of gender. You can still consider yourself to be a woman if you don't like pink, you just aren't the most stereotypical. Gender is more about broad ideas about what being feminine and masculine means, not the specific preference. Gender is how the society views a sex. It can be strictly followed or varied. Gender is a huge part of a person's identity. http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199403/gender-the-last-word http://www.trinity.edu/mkearl/gender.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gender http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5608e/y5608e01.htm
I like what you have so far, keep up the strong ideas. I think that there are places that you can make your essay stronger verbs and making it less repetitive. Keep up the good work though I think you are doing great. -Grant
Final Definition (posted February 17 -- Peer Response February 19 ) Gender Gender is a term that is commonly misunderstood. It is often mistaken for sex, which is why this topic needs to be addressed. Sex is determined by your sexual organs, while gender is in your mind and society. Gender is defined as a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. When considering gender, social stereotypes play a huge role. People generally choose gender based on social stereotypes, and often people don’t even think about gender. When I think of gender I would compare it to heat. Heat, while can’t be touched, can definitely be felt. Gender has no biological significance, yet is obviously a part of society. It is an idea rather than a body part. The majority of people are placed into a gender role based upon their sex at birth and they live their whole lives by that standard. For example, girls wear pink and play with dolls. Boys wear blue and play with racecars. There is nothing biological that says boys and blue correlate, yet it still is very essential to one's identity. That is where gender comes in. Gender, while not scientifically defined, defines a person. It is how the sex is viewed in society. It is the common way media displays sex. An example from my life where I continue to feel an extreme presence of gender is when people are distgusted by my choice to refrain from shaving. Whenever they tell me it’s gross, I ask if it’s gross if a man doesn’t shave. They always think it isn’t. The only reason they can give me for having disgust is that I am a woman. This is an example of gender because our culture says women shave and have hairless bodies, our genetics don’t. Since not everyone exists exactly how media and stereotypes depict, gender can be varied. This is why transgendered people exist. Transgendered is also very commonly misunderstood. The majority believe transgendered means one wants to have sex reassignment surgery to change their sexual organs into those of the opposite sex, but this is not the case. The prefix "trans" means across, so the person simply does not have a gender that is exactly equivalent to their sex. Transgendered is an umbrella term, not an exact circumstance. Under this "umbrella" one can find variation that ranges from a cross dresser to someone who has had a sex reassignment surgery. Also, not everyone who does not fit exactly into a gender category wouls be considered transgendered. For example, not every girl likes pink, and not every boy likes cars. This would be considered a difference of preference rather than a difference of gender. You can still consider yourself to be a woman if you don't like pink, you just aren't the most stereotypical. Gender is more about broad ideas about what being feminine and masculine means, not the specific preference. Gender is how the society views a sex. It can be strictly followed or varied. Gender is a huge part of a person's identity.
Extra Credit revision: Gender The confusion between the terms gender and sex needs to be addressed within our society.While the distinction is not large, it is very important to realize. Sex is determined by your sexual organs, and gender is in your mind and society. Gender is defined as a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. When considering gender, social stereotypes play a huge role. People generally choose gender based on social stereotypes, and often people don’t even think about gender. When I think of gender I would compare it to heat. Heat, while can’t be touched, can definitely be felt. Gender has no biological significance, yet is obviously a part of society. It is an idea rather than a body part, but the idea runs so deep that it often effects every aspect of the sex. The majority of people are placed into a gender role based upon their sex at birth and they live their whole lives by that standard. For example, girls wear pink and play with dolls. Boys wear blue and play with racecars. There is nothing biological that says boys and blue correlate, yet it still is very essential to one's identity. That is where gender comes in. Gender, while not scientifically defined, defines a person. It's how people raise their children. It is the common way media displays sex. It defines what is normal, and what is not. An example from my life where I continue to feel an extreme presence of gender is when people are distgusted by my choice to refrain from shaving. Whenever they tell me it’s gross, I ask if it’s gross if a man doesn’t shave. They always think it isn’t. The only reason they can give me for being disgusted is that I am a woman. This is an example of gender because our culture says all women must shave, our genetics don’t. As you can see, I have chosen to be different that all gender stereotypes. Since not everyone exists exactly how media and stereotypes depict, gender can be varied. This is why transgendered people exist. Transgender is also very commonly misunderstood. The majority believe transgender means one wants to have sex reassignment surgery to change their sexual organs into those of the opposite sex, but this is not the case. The prefix "trans" means across, so the person simply does not have a gender that is exactly equivalent to that of their sex. Transgendered is an umbrella term, not an exact circumstance. Under this "umbrella" one can find variation that ranges from a cross dresser to someone who has had a sex reassignment surgery. Also, not everyone who does not fit exactly into a gender category wouls be considered transgendered. For example, not every girl likes pink, and not every boy likes cars. This would be considered a difference of preference rather than a difference of gender. You can still consider yourself to be a woman if you don't like pink, you just aren't the most stereotypical. Gender is more about broad ideas about what being feminine and masculine means, not the specific preference. Gender is how the society views every aspect of a sex. It can be strictly followed or varied. Either way, gender is a huge part of a person's identity and how they are viewed in every day life. Reflection #1 (posted February 20 -- Peer Response February 22)
The purpose of my paper was to clear up any confusion about the concept of gender as well as how it affects society. I believe I met the purpose well. It gave many examples of gender. The intended audience is anyone who doesn't fully understand gender, or anyone who hasn't given it much thought. I gave definitions and examples to make the concept easier to understand. The exigence is the misconceptions and acquiescence surrounding gender. I used syntax and diction to highlight where the most important areas were. I used diction to reveal persona. Rough Draft Comparison (postedFebruary 24 -- Peer Response February 26 )
Gender and sex are closely related. They are both often mistaken for each other. Gender and sex are very similar terms, yet very different.
Gender is social. It is the idea of what being a member of a sex means. For example, men like cars, women, and being athletic. Girls like fashion, men, and talking. Often gender is based on a common belief within a society.
Sex is biological. It is based upon which body you have, either male or female. Most of the difference lies within sexual organs, which is why it is referred to as sex. An example of sex is women having fallopian tubes, while men have a vas deferens tube.
Gender and sex are the same, yet varied. they are closely related. Sometimes, they are even mistaken for each other. Revision Comparison (posted March 2 -- Peer Response March 4)
Gender and sex are closely related. They are often mistaken for each other. Gender is an idea, while sex is a body type.
Gender is social. It is the idea of what being a member of a sex means. For example, men like cars, women, and being athletic. Girls like fashion, men, and talking. Often gender is based on a common belief within a society. This is not considered to be scientific because there is nothing that biologically says men and blue correlate, it was the society that decided that. Gender could be compared to heat because heat can be felt but not touched, and gender is in a society not a body.
Sex is biological. It is based upon which body you have, either male or female. Most of the difference lies within sexual organs, which is why it is referred to as sex. An example of sex is women having fallopian tubes, while men have a vas deferens tube. This is a scientific difference because a male will have certain body parts, and a female will have an entirely different set. You can pinpoint the exact differences, and it is not a belief. It is a true difference.
Gender and sex are the same, yet varied. they are closely related. Sometimes, they are even mistaken for each other. Final Comparison (posted March 9 -- Peer Response March 11)
Gender and sex are closely related. They are often mistaken for each other. Gender is an idea, while sex is a body type.
Gender is social. It is the idea of what being a member of a sex means within a society. For example, men like cars, women, and being athletic. Girls like fashion, men, and talking. This is not considered to be scientific because there is nothing that biologically says men and blue correlate. The society decided that. Gender could also be compared to heat, because heat can be felt but not touched. Gender is in a society, not a body.
Sex is biological. It is based upon which body you have, either male or female. Most of the difference lies within sexual organs, which is why it is referred to as sex. An example of sex is women having fallopian tubes, while men have a vas deferens tube. This is a scientific difference because a male will have certain body parts, and a female will have an entirely different set. You can pinpoint the exact differences, and it is not a belief. It is a true difference.
Gender and sex are the same, yet varied. they are closely related. Sometimes, they are even mistaken for each other.
Extra credit revision:
Gender and Sex exist in very similar circumstances. The majority of the time, one does not know the difference between the two. Gender is an idea, while sex is a body type.
Gender is social. It is the idea of what being a member of a sex means within a society. For example, men like cars, women, and being athletic. Girls like fashion, men, and talking. This is not considered to be scientific because there is nothing that biologically says men and blue correlate, the society decided that. Gender could also be compared to heat. This is because heat can be felt but not touched, and gender is in a society, not a body.
Sex is biological. It is based upon which body you have, either male or female. Most of the difference lies within sexual organs. This is why it is referred to as sex. An example of sex is women having fallopian tubes, while men have a vas deferens tube. This is a scientific difference because a male will have certain body parts, and a female will have an entirely different set. You can pinpoint the exact differences, and it is not a belief, it is a true difference.
Gender and sex are similarly used, yet they refer to very different concepts. they are closely related, while being very different. Sometimes, they are even mistaken for each other. Reflection #2 (posted March 16 -- Peer Response March 25)
My essays need better organization still. They are getting better. I think my diction is improving. I could probably work on grammar more. It's still short, yet I don't think there is anything else that needs to be said about the issue. Rough Draft Argument (posted April 6 -- Peer Response April 8)
Transgender Bathroom Laws have currently been a heated issue. Some believe that since you can't see one's genitalia while in the stall next to them, it should be their choice which bathroom to use. Others believe allowing men into the women's bathroom would result in preditors following female victims into the bathroom. I personally believe that transgendered people should be able to use whichever bathroom would be less difficult for them.
Being transgendered already is hard enough on a person without them having to deal with arrest for being illegally in a bathroom. Statistics have shown that the national suicide rate is 3 per 100,000. Among transgendered individuals the suicide rate is an astonishing 31%. This proves that being transgendered is extremely difficult and as a nation we need to take steps to lower this percentage. Many person accounts have stated that being transgendered and having to choose a bathroom is one of the most difficult situations they have to deal with in their everyday lives. Often they choose to wait until they got home even if they were out all day to avoid this humiliation. How would you feel if it were easier to wait all day rather than walk into a bathroom and fulfill your basic human need?
There are a couple fixes to this problem that could help minimize the dehumanizing event of having unwanted attention while in the bathroom. One being that we could have a law that allows transgendered people to legally change their sex on their drivers license. Most of the arrests associated with this issue come from the sex of the bathroom not matching the sex on their identification card. If we would allow them to legally change their sex, these arrests wouldn't happen. They also wouldn't have to face humiliation by being dressed as a woman, and be in the men's bathroom, But this is where some controversy arrises.
Many feel allowing males to enter female bathrooms dressed as women would allow for unwanted sexual predators to enter female bathrooms. They can't stand the thought of their children being followed by scary people, which is understandable. If I had a daughter or a wife, I wouldn't want sexual predators to follow them into a bathroom either. On the other hand, do you really think this is a circumstance that would happen frequently? Why would someone go through all the trouble of dressing in full drag just to follow your daughter into the bathroom? The vast majority of the people using this law would be innocent transgendered people that the law was protecting.
Without using stereotypes are you going to be able to tell the exact genitalia of the person walking into the bathroom? The answer is no. Plus, when the person is using the restroom, there are stalls that block you from seeing it. I honesty do not believe a woman with a penis entering your bathroom is going to effect you any more than a woman with a vagina entering. If you still are not convinced, why not just install a unisex or family bathroom?
While expensive to install, and not always the most convient, they provide solid protection from the genitalia of the person within. If a non-transgendered person feels treatened by a transgendered person being in their bathroom, they could remove themselves from the one sex bathroom and enter the unisex one. Also if a transgendered person fears harassment from entering either bathroom, they could use the unisex bathroom as well. This would definitely be a very safe alternative.
Being transgendered and using a bathroom can be very stressful, but everyone could take messures to lessen this stress. We could make laws, make unisex bathrooms, or just not draw attention to others trying to use the restroom. There are many easy solutions. Revision Argument (posted April 13 -- Peer Response April 15)
Transgender Bathroom Laws have currently been a heated issue. Some believe that since you can't see one's genitalia while in the stall next to them, it should be their choice which bathroom to use. Others believe allowing men into the women's bathroom would result in preditors following female victims into the bathroom. I personally believe that transgendered people should be able to use whichever bathroom would be less difficult for them.
Being transgendered already is hard enough on a person without them having to deal with arrest for being illegally in a bathroom. Statistics have shown that the national suicide rate is 3 per 100,000. Among transgendered individuals the suicide rate is an astonishing 31%. This proves that being transgendered is extremely difficult and as a nation we need to take steps to lower this percentage. Many personal accounts have stated that being transgendered and having to choose a bathroom is one of the most difficult situations they have to deal with in their everyday lives. Often they choose to wait until they got home even if they were out all day to avoid this humiliation. How would you feel if it were easier to wait all day rather than walk into a bathroom and fulfill your basic human need?
There are a couple fixes to this problem that could help minimize the dehumanizing event of having unwanted attention while in the bathroom. One being that we could have a law that allows transgendered people to legally change their sex on their drivers license since most of the arrests associated with this issue come from the sex of the bathroom not matching the sex on their identification card. If we would allow them to legally change their sex, these arrests wouldn't happen. They also wouldn't have to face humiliation by being dressed as a woman, and be in the men's bathroom, But this is where some controversy arrises.
Many feel allowing males to enter female bathrooms dressed as women would allow for unwanted sexual predators to enter female bathrooms. They can't stand the thought of their children being followed by scary people, which is understandable. If I had a daughter or a wife, I wouldn't want sexual predators to follow them into a bathroom either. On the other hand, do you really think this is a circumstance that would happen frequently, and couldn't it still happen now without these laws? Why would someone go through all the trouble of dressing in full drag just to follow your daughter into the bathroom? Very few people would do this, and this law wouldn't protect them. The vast majority of the people using this law would be innocent transgendered people that the law was protecting.
Without using stereotypes are you going to be able to tell the exact genitalia of the person walking into the bathroom? The answer is no. Plus, when the person is using the restroom, there are stalls that block you from seeing it. I honesty do not believe a woman with a penis entering your bathroom is going to effect you any more than a woman with a vagina entering. If you still are not convinced, why not just install a unisex or family bathroom?
While expensive to install, and not always the most convient, unisex bathrooms provide solid protection from the genitalia of the person within. If a non-transgendered person feels treatened by a transgendered person being in their bathroom, they could remove themselves from the one sex bathroom and enter the unisex one. Also if a transgendered person fears harassment from entering either bathroom, they could use the unisex bathroom as well. This would definitely be a very safe alternative.
Being transgendered and using a bathroom can be very stressful, but everyone could take messures to lessen this stress. We need to make laws to protect people, and make this difficult situation less stressful. There are many easy solutions to this problem. Final Argument (posted April 20 -- Peer Response April 23)
Transgender Bathroom Laws have currently been a heated issue. Some believe since you can't see one's genitalia while in the stall next to them, it should be their choice which bathroom to use. Others believe allowing men into the women's bathroom would result in preditors following female victims into the bathroom. I personally believe that transgendered people should be able to use whichever bathroom would be less difficult for them.
Being transgendered already is hard enough on a person without them having to deal with arrest for being illegally in a bathroom. Statistics have shown that the national suicide rate is 3 per 100,000. Among transgendered individuals the suicide rate is an astonishing 31% (source one). This proves that being transgendered is extremely difficult, and as a nation we need to take steps to lower this percentage. Many personal accounts say that being transgendered and having to choose a bathroom is one of the most difficult situations they have to deal with in their everyday lives. Often they choose to wait until they got home, even if they were out all day to avoid this humiliation (source two). How would you feel if it were easier to wait all day rather than walk into a bathroom and fulfill your basic human need?
There are a couple fixes to this problem that could help minimize the dehumanizing event of having unwanted attention while in the bathroom. One being that we could have a law that allows transgendered people to legally change their sex on their drivers license since most of the arrests associated with this issue come from the sex of the bathroom not matching the sex on their identification card. If we would allow them to legally change their sex, these arrests wouldn't happen. They also wouldn't have to face humiliation by being dressed as a woman, and be in the men's bathroom, but this is where some controversy arrises.
Many feel allowing males to enter female bathrooms dressed as women would allow for unwanted sexual predators to enter female bathrooms. They can't stand the thought of their children being followed by scary people, which is understandable. If I had a daughter or a wife, I wouldn't want sexual predators to follow them into a bathroom either. On the other hand, do you really think this is a circumstance that would happen frequently, and couldn't it still happen now without these laws? Why would someone go through all the trouble of dressing in full drag just to follow your daughter into the bathroom? Very few people would do this, and this law wouldn't protect them. The vast majority of the people using this law would be innocent transgendered people that the law was protecting (source three).
Without using stereotypes are you going to be able to tell the exact genitalia of the person walking into the bathroom? The answer is no. Plus, when the person is using the restroom, there are stalls that block you from seeing it (source three). I honesty do not believe a woman with a penis entering your bathroom is going to effect you any more than a woman with a vagina entering. If you still are not convinced, why not just install a unisex or family bathroom?
While expensive to install, and not always the most convient, unisex bathrooms provide solid protection from the genitalia of the person within. If a non-transgendered person feels treatened by a transgendered person being in their bathroom, they could remove themselves from the one sex bathroom and enter the unisex one. Also if a transgendered person fears harassment from entering either bathroom, they could use the unisex bathroom as well. This would definitely be a very safe alternative.
Being transgendered and using a bathroom can be very stressful, but everyone could take messures to lessen this stress. We need to make laws to protect people, and make this difficult situation less stressful. There are many easy solutions to this problem.
Personal Reflection on Topic of Inquiry(posted January 27 -- Peer Response January 29)
Hi. I'm Ellie. I'm a vegetarian. I'm also extremely liberal. My favorite activities include marathon running, cycling class, weight lifting, playing my violin, and reading. I'm looking forward to my marathon training season to begin in April. This will be my second marathon. Also, my favorite class is chemistry. I love science. How are you liking APLang? I know it has been helping me become a better writer! I've learned how to quote, how to write introductory paragraphs, and what a strong thesis sounds like. Before AP language and composition I didn't know that to be words make a weak essay. I still haven't figured out how to fix that completely, but I hope to become more comfortable with it in this semester. My biggest hurdle has been organization. I still need work on it, but it has definitely improved.
Rough Draft Definition (posted February 3 -- Peer Response February 5)
During my life, the idea of gender has continued to challenge me. Supposedly we live in a completely equal society were there is no difference between men and women(unless you ask feminists). Most people believe there is virtually no difference between men and women in our society, yet the day we're born we are immediately dressed and surrounded by pink if you're a girl, and blue if you're a boy. I don't understand how people think men and women are equal when we are separated by gender at birth. I don't think our society needs them. It just makes everyone's life worse. Without them men wouldn't be called, "faggots," and women wouldn't be ridiculed for not shaving or not wearing make-up. For a long time I have felt the strain of gender stereotypes. I have never liked to wear dresses. I have never liked to wear make-up. I do not like the color pink. I have no interest in ever dating men, like the stereotypical woman. Yet, I don't like sports. I don't have a desire to be ultra- wealthy. I don't want to lose all care for how I look. And I don't refer to cars as sexy, like the stereotypical man. I live my life in a middle ground that is still unaccepted by society. People have the need to call me butch, or a dyke, or a manly lesbian. Why can't I just be myself? Why does society make life so difficult for people? Why do men and women need to be seen differently?
I think you have a strong point. The topic you choose is very strong and you are very enthusiastic about it. I think it would be stronger if you could make people try and see it more from your eyes opposed to you saying what you see and how you feel. All in all though I think you have a strong topic to work with. Good job.
-Grant
Revision Definition (posted February 10 -- Peer Response February 12 )
Gender is a term that is commonly misunderstood. It is often mistaken for sex. Sex is determined by your sexual organs, while gender is in your mind and society.
When considering gender, social stereotypes play a huge role. People generally choose gender based on social stereotypes. For example, girls wear pink and play with dolls. Boys wear blue and play with racecars. There is nothing biological that says boys and blue correlate, yet it still is very essential to one's identity. That is where gender comes in.
Gender, while not scientifically defined, defines a person. It is how the sex is viewed in society. It is the common way media displays sex.
Since not everyone exists exactly how media and stereotypes depict, gender can be varied. This is why transgendered people exist. Transgendered is also very commonly misunderstood. The majority believe transgendered means one wants to have sex reassignment surgery, but this is not the case. The prefix "trans" means across, so the person simply does not have a gender that is exactly equivalent to their sex. Transgendered is an umbrella term, not an exact circumstance. Under this "umbrella" one can find variation that ranges from a cross dresser to someone who has had a sex reassignment surgery.
Also, not everyone who does not fit exactly into a gender category would be considered transgendered. For example, not every girl likes pink, and not every boy likes cars. This would be considered a difference of preference rather than a difference of gender. You can still consider yourself to be a woman if you don't like pink, you just aren't the most stereotypical. Gender is more about broad ideas about what being feminine and masculine means, not the specific preference. Gender is how the society views a sex. It can be strictly followed or varied. Gender is a huge part of a person's identity.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/199403/gender-the-last-word
http://www.trinity.edu/mkearl/gender.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gender
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gender
http://www.fao.org/docrep/007/y5608e/y5608e01.htm
I like what you have so far, keep up the strong ideas. I think that there are places that you can make your essay stronger verbs and making it less repetitive. Keep up the good work though I think you are doing great.
-Grant
Final Definition (posted February 17 -- Peer Response February 19 )
Gender
Gender is a term that is commonly misunderstood. It is often mistaken for sex, which is why this topic needs to be addressed. Sex is determined by your sexual organs, while gender is in your mind and society.
Gender is defined as a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. When considering gender, social stereotypes play a huge role. People generally choose gender based on social stereotypes, and often people don’t even think about gender.
When I think of gender I would compare it to heat. Heat, while can’t be touched, can definitely be felt. Gender has no biological significance, yet is obviously a part of society. It is an idea rather than a body part.
The majority of people are placed into a gender role based upon their sex at birth and they live their whole lives by that standard. For example, girls wear pink and play with dolls. Boys wear blue and play with racecars. There is nothing biological that says boys and blue correlate, yet it still is very essential to one's identity. That is where gender comes in.
Gender, while not scientifically defined, defines a person. It is how the sex is viewed in society. It is the common way media displays sex.
An example from my life where I continue to feel an extreme presence of gender is when people are distgusted by my choice to refrain from shaving. Whenever they tell me it’s gross, I ask if it’s gross if a man doesn’t shave. They always think it isn’t. The only reason they can give me for having disgust is that I am a woman. This is an example of gender because our culture says women shave and have hairless bodies, our genetics don’t.
Since not everyone exists exactly how media and stereotypes depict, gender can be varied. This is why transgendered people exist. Transgendered is also very commonly misunderstood. The majority believe transgendered means one wants to have sex reassignment surgery to change their sexual organs into those of the opposite sex, but this is not the case. The prefix "trans" means across, so the person simply does not have a gender that is exactly equivalent to their sex. Transgendered is an umbrella term, not an exact circumstance. Under this "umbrella" one can find variation that ranges from a cross dresser to someone who has had a sex reassignment surgery.
Also, not everyone who does not fit exactly into a gender category wouls be considered transgendered. For example, not every girl likes pink, and not every boy likes cars. This would be considered a difference of preference rather than a difference of gender. You can still consider yourself to be a woman if you don't like pink, you just aren't the most stereotypical. Gender is more about broad ideas about what being feminine and masculine means, not the specific preference.
Gender is how the society views a sex. It can be strictly followed or varied. Gender is a huge part of a person's identity.
Extra Credit revision:
Gender
The confusion between the terms gender and sex needs to be addressed within our society.While the distinction is not large, it is very important to realize. Sex is determined by your sexual organs, and gender is in your mind and society.
Gender is defined as a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. When considering gender, social stereotypes play a huge role. People generally choose gender based on social stereotypes, and often people don’t even think about gender.
When I think of gender I would compare it to heat. Heat, while can’t be touched, can definitely be felt. Gender has no biological significance, yet is obviously a part of society. It is an idea rather than a body part, but the idea runs so deep that it often effects every aspect of the sex.
The majority of people are placed into a gender role based upon their sex at birth and they live their whole lives by that standard. For example, girls wear pink and play with dolls. Boys wear blue and play with racecars. There is nothing biological that says boys and blue correlate, yet it still is very essential to one's identity. That is where gender comes in.
Gender, while not scientifically defined, defines a person. It's how people raise their children. It is the common way media displays sex. It defines what is normal, and what is not.
An example from my life where I continue to feel an extreme presence of gender is when people are distgusted by my choice to refrain from shaving. Whenever they tell me it’s gross, I ask if it’s gross if a man doesn’t shave. They always think it isn’t. The only reason they can give me for being disgusted is that I am a woman. This is an example of gender because our culture says all women must shave, our genetics don’t. As you can see, I have chosen to be different that all gender stereotypes.
Since not everyone exists exactly how media and stereotypes depict, gender can be varied. This is why transgendered people exist. Transgender is also very commonly misunderstood. The majority believe transgender means one wants to have sex reassignment surgery to change their sexual organs into those of the opposite sex, but this is not the case. The prefix "trans" means across, so the person simply does not have a gender that is exactly equivalent to that of their sex. Transgendered is an umbrella term, not an exact circumstance. Under this "umbrella" one can find variation that ranges from a cross dresser to someone who has had a sex reassignment surgery.
Also, not everyone who does not fit exactly into a gender category wouls be considered transgendered. For example, not every girl likes pink, and not every boy likes cars. This would be considered a difference of preference rather than a difference of gender. You can still consider yourself to be a woman if you don't like pink, you just aren't the most stereotypical. Gender is more about broad ideas about what being feminine and masculine means, not the specific preference.
Gender is how the society views every aspect of a sex. It can be strictly followed or varied. Either way, gender is a huge part of a person's identity and how they are viewed in every day life.
Reflection #1 (posted February 20 -- Peer Response February 22)
The purpose of my paper was to clear up any confusion about the concept of gender as well as how it affects society. I believe I met the purpose well. It gave many examples of gender. The intended audience is anyone who doesn't fully understand gender, or anyone who hasn't given it much thought. I gave definitions and examples to make the concept easier to understand. The exigence is the misconceptions and acquiescence surrounding gender. I used syntax and diction to highlight where the most important areas were. I used diction to reveal persona.
Rough Draft Comparison (postedFebruary 24 -- Peer Response February 26 )
Gender and sex are closely related. They are both often mistaken for each other. Gender and sex are very similar terms, yet very different.
Gender is social. It is the idea of what being a member of a sex means. For example, men like cars, women, and being athletic. Girls like fashion, men, and talking. Often gender is based on a common belief within a society.
Sex is biological. It is based upon which body you have, either male or female. Most of the difference lies within sexual organs, which is why it is referred to as sex. An example of sex is women having fallopian tubes, while men have a vas deferens tube.
Gender and sex are the same, yet varied. they are closely related. Sometimes, they are even mistaken for each other.
Revision Comparison (posted March 2 -- Peer Response March 4)
Gender and sex are closely related. They are often mistaken for each other. Gender is an idea, while sex is a body type.
Gender is social. It is the idea of what being a member of a sex means. For example, men like cars, women, and being athletic. Girls like fashion, men, and talking. Often gender is based on a common belief within a society. This is not considered to be scientific because there is nothing that biologically says men and blue correlate, it was the society that decided that. Gender could be compared to heat because heat can be felt but not touched, and gender is in a society not a body.
Sex is biological. It is based upon which body you have, either male or female. Most of the difference lies within sexual organs, which is why it is referred to as sex. An example of sex is women having fallopian tubes, while men have a vas deferens tube. This is a scientific difference because a male will have certain body parts, and a female will have an entirely different set. You can pinpoint the exact differences, and it is not a belief. It is a true difference.
Gender and sex are the same, yet varied. they are closely related. Sometimes, they are even mistaken for each other.
Final Comparison (posted March 9 -- Peer Response March 11)
Gender and sex are closely related. They are often mistaken for each other. Gender is an idea, while sex is a body type.
Gender is social. It is the idea of what being a member of a sex means within a society. For example, men like cars, women, and being athletic. Girls like fashion, men, and talking. This is not considered to be scientific because there is nothing that biologically says men and blue correlate. The society decided that. Gender could also be compared to heat, because heat can be felt but not touched. Gender is in a society, not a body.
Sex is biological. It is based upon which body you have, either male or female. Most of the difference lies within sexual organs, which is why it is referred to as sex. An example of sex is women having fallopian tubes, while men have a vas deferens tube. This is a scientific difference because a male will have certain body parts, and a female will have an entirely different set. You can pinpoint the exact differences, and it is not a belief. It is a true difference.
Gender and sex are the same, yet varied. they are closely related. Sometimes, they are even mistaken for each other.
Extra credit revision:
Gender and Sex exist in very similar circumstances. The majority of the time, one does not know the difference between the two. Gender is an idea, while sex is a body type.
Gender is social. It is the idea of what being a member of a sex means within a society. For example, men like cars, women, and being athletic. Girls like fashion, men, and talking. This is not considered to be scientific because there is nothing that biologically says men and blue correlate, the society decided that. Gender could also be compared to heat. This is because heat can be felt but not touched, and gender is in a society, not a body.
Sex is biological. It is based upon which body you have, either male or female. Most of the difference lies within sexual organs. This is why it is referred to as sex. An example of sex is women having fallopian tubes, while men have a vas deferens tube. This is a scientific difference because a male will have certain body parts, and a female will have an entirely different set. You can pinpoint the exact differences, and it is not a belief, it is a true difference.
Gender and sex are similarly used, yet they refer to very different concepts. they are closely related, while being very different. Sometimes, they are even mistaken for each other.
Reflection #2 (posted March 16 -- Peer Response March 25)
My essays need better organization still. They are getting better. I think my diction is improving. I could probably work on grammar more. It's still short, yet I don't think there is anything else that needs to be said about the issue.
Rough Draft Argument (posted April 6 -- Peer Response April 8)
Transgender Bathroom Laws have currently been a heated issue. Some believe that since you can't see one's genitalia while in the stall next to them, it should be their choice which bathroom to use. Others believe allowing men into the women's bathroom would result in preditors following female victims into the bathroom. I personally believe that transgendered people should be able to use whichever bathroom would be less difficult for them.
Being transgendered already is hard enough on a person without them having to deal with arrest for being illegally in a bathroom. Statistics have shown that the national suicide rate is 3 per 100,000. Among transgendered individuals the suicide rate is an astonishing 31%. This proves that being transgendered is extremely difficult and as a nation we need to take steps to lower this percentage. Many person accounts have stated that being transgendered and having to choose a bathroom is one of the most difficult situations they have to deal with in their everyday lives. Often they choose to wait until they got home even if they were out all day to avoid this humiliation. How would you feel if it were easier to wait all day rather than walk into a bathroom and fulfill your basic human need?
There are a couple fixes to this problem that could help minimize the dehumanizing event of having unwanted attention while in the bathroom. One being that we could have a law that allows transgendered people to legally change their sex on their drivers license. Most of the arrests associated with this issue come from the sex of the bathroom not matching the sex on their identification card. If we would allow them to legally change their sex, these arrests wouldn't happen. They also wouldn't have to face humiliation by being dressed as a woman, and be in the men's bathroom, But this is where some controversy arrises.
Many feel allowing males to enter female bathrooms dressed as women would allow for unwanted sexual predators to enter female bathrooms. They can't stand the thought of their children being followed by scary people, which is understandable. If I had a daughter or a wife, I wouldn't want sexual predators to follow them into a bathroom either. On the other hand, do you really think this is a circumstance that would happen frequently? Why would someone go through all the trouble of dressing in full drag just to follow your daughter into the bathroom? The vast majority of the people using this law would be innocent transgendered people that the law was protecting.
Without using stereotypes are you going to be able to tell the exact genitalia of the person walking into the bathroom? The answer is no. Plus, when the person is using the restroom, there are stalls that block you from seeing it. I honesty do not believe a woman with a penis entering your bathroom is going to effect you any more than a woman with a vagina entering. If you still are not convinced, why not just install a unisex or family bathroom?
While expensive to install, and not always the most convient, they provide solid protection from the genitalia of the person within. If a non-transgendered person feels treatened by a transgendered person being in their bathroom, they could remove themselves from the one sex bathroom and enter the unisex one. Also if a transgendered person fears harassment from entering either bathroom, they could use the unisex bathroom as well. This would definitely be a very safe alternative.
Being transgendered and using a bathroom can be very stressful, but everyone could take messures to lessen this stress. We could make laws, make unisex bathrooms, or just not draw attention to others trying to use the restroom. There are many easy solutions.
Revision Argument (posted April 13 -- Peer Response April 15)
Transgender Bathroom Laws have currently been a heated issue. Some believe that since you can't see one's genitalia while in the stall next to them, it should be their choice which bathroom to use. Others believe allowing men into the women's bathroom would result in preditors following female victims into the bathroom. I personally believe that transgendered people should be able to use whichever bathroom would be less difficult for them.
Being transgendered already is hard enough on a person without them having to deal with arrest for being illegally in a bathroom. Statistics have shown that the national suicide rate is 3 per 100,000. Among transgendered individuals the suicide rate is an astonishing 31%. This proves that being transgendered is extremely difficult and as a nation we need to take steps to lower this percentage. Many personal accounts have stated that being transgendered and having to choose a bathroom is one of the most difficult situations they have to deal with in their everyday lives. Often they choose to wait until they got home even if they were out all day to avoid this humiliation. How would you feel if it were easier to wait all day rather than walk into a bathroom and fulfill your basic human need?
There are a couple fixes to this problem that could help minimize the dehumanizing event of having unwanted attention while in the bathroom. One being that we could have a law that allows transgendered people to legally change their sex on their drivers license since most of the arrests associated with this issue come from the sex of the bathroom not matching the sex on their identification card. If we would allow them to legally change their sex, these arrests wouldn't happen. They also wouldn't have to face humiliation by being dressed as a woman, and be in the men's bathroom, But this is where some controversy arrises.
Many feel allowing males to enter female bathrooms dressed as women would allow for unwanted sexual predators to enter female bathrooms. They can't stand the thought of their children being followed by scary people, which is understandable. If I had a daughter or a wife, I wouldn't want sexual predators to follow them into a bathroom either. On the other hand, do you really think this is a circumstance that would happen frequently, and couldn't it still happen now without these laws? Why would someone go through all the trouble of dressing in full drag just to follow your daughter into the bathroom? Very few people would do this, and this law wouldn't protect them. The vast majority of the people using this law would be innocent transgendered people that the law was protecting.
Without using stereotypes are you going to be able to tell the exact genitalia of the person walking into the bathroom? The answer is no. Plus, when the person is using the restroom, there are stalls that block you from seeing it. I honesty do not believe a woman with a penis entering your bathroom is going to effect you any more than a woman with a vagina entering. If you still are not convinced, why not just install a unisex or family bathroom?
While expensive to install, and not always the most convient, unisex bathrooms provide solid protection from the genitalia of the person within. If a non-transgendered person feels treatened by a transgendered person being in their bathroom, they could remove themselves from the one sex bathroom and enter the unisex one. Also if a transgendered person fears harassment from entering either bathroom, they could use the unisex bathroom as well. This would definitely be a very safe alternative.
Being transgendered and using a bathroom can be very stressful, but everyone could take messures to lessen this stress. We need to make laws to protect people, and make this difficult situation less stressful. There are many easy solutions to this problem.
Final Argument (posted April 20 -- Peer Response April 23)
Transgender Bathroom Laws have currently been a heated issue. Some believe since you can't see one's genitalia while in the stall next to them, it should be their choice which bathroom to use. Others believe allowing men into the women's bathroom would result in preditors following female victims into the bathroom. I personally believe that transgendered people should be able to use whichever bathroom would be less difficult for them.
Being transgendered already is hard enough on a person without them having to deal with arrest for being illegally in a bathroom. Statistics have shown that the national suicide rate is 3 per 100,000. Among transgendered individuals the suicide rate is an astonishing 31% (source one). This proves that being transgendered is extremely difficult, and as a nation we need to take steps to lower this percentage. Many personal accounts say that being transgendered and having to choose a bathroom is one of the most difficult situations they have to deal with in their everyday lives. Often they choose to wait until they got home, even if they were out all day to avoid this humiliation (source two). How would you feel if it were easier to wait all day rather than walk into a bathroom and fulfill your basic human need?
There are a couple fixes to this problem that could help minimize the dehumanizing event of having unwanted attention while in the bathroom. One being that we could have a law that allows transgendered people to legally change their sex on their drivers license since most of the arrests associated with this issue come from the sex of the bathroom not matching the sex on their identification card. If we would allow them to legally change their sex, these arrests wouldn't happen. They also wouldn't have to face humiliation by being dressed as a woman, and be in the men's bathroom, but this is where some controversy arrises.
Many feel allowing males to enter female bathrooms dressed as women would allow for unwanted sexual predators to enter female bathrooms. They can't stand the thought of their children being followed by scary people, which is understandable. If I had a daughter or a wife, I wouldn't want sexual predators to follow them into a bathroom either. On the other hand, do you really think this is a circumstance that would happen frequently, and couldn't it still happen now without these laws? Why would someone go through all the trouble of dressing in full drag just to follow your daughter into the bathroom? Very few people would do this, and this law wouldn't protect them. The vast majority of the people using this law would be innocent transgendered people that the law was protecting (source three).
Without using stereotypes are you going to be able to tell the exact genitalia of the person walking into the bathroom? The answer is no. Plus, when the person is using the restroom, there are stalls that block you from seeing it (source three). I honesty do not believe a woman with a penis entering your bathroom is going to effect you any more than a woman with a vagina entering. If you still are not convinced, why not just install a unisex or family bathroom?
While expensive to install, and not always the most convient, unisex bathrooms provide solid protection from the genitalia of the person within. If a non-transgendered person feels treatened by a transgendered person being in their bathroom, they could remove themselves from the one sex bathroom and enter the unisex one. Also if a transgendered person fears harassment from entering either bathroom, they could use the unisex bathroom as well. This would definitely be a very safe alternative.
Being transgendered and using a bathroom can be very stressful, but everyone could take messures to lessen this stress. We need to make laws to protect people, and make this difficult situation less stressful. There are many easy solutions to this problem.
http://www.lauras-playground.com/transsexual_transgender_suicide_memorial.htm (source one)
Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinburg (source two)
http://bangordailynews.com/2011/05/17/opinion/transgender-people-deserve-privacy-dignity-in-public-bathrooms/ (source three)
Reflection #3 (posted April 23)
I think my essay went well. I believe I did everything that I was supposed to. There are some weird organizational moments, but overall I'm pretty happy with it.